Samson Needs Knee Surgery

Samson is our 8 year old yellow Labrador. He is a very sweet dog who became part of our family purely by accident. He followed our daughter and our oldest lab Buddy home one day when we lived in Truckee, CA.

We came to find out that his current owner was moving and Samson was not going with her. So, we had a couple of play dates and decided he was a good fit into our family. Little did we know that it was going to take a lot of patience and consistency for him to integrate into the family. The first year and half was a trying one and I can proudly say that Samson has been a part of our family for 5 years now!

What Happened

On March 23rd our oldest pup Buddy passed away. We were devastated and worried about Samson missing his big brother. Buddy and Samson kept each other company and this was especially helpful for Samson since he has separation anxiety when we leave the house without him.

The next day we wanted to make sure Samson didn’t feel lonely or anxious without his big brother and as a special treat we took him to the park to let him run and play. Have you ever heard the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”? Unfortunately this was the case for us.

Samson played and ran around, he had a fantastic time. It was great to see him having so much fun. Another phrase that comes to mind, “Too much ha ha. Pretty soon boohoo”. When we took Samson home he was limping. We weren’t too concerned at first, he had experienced this before after running too hard. We had him rest for several days and then we decided it was probably a good idea to take him to the vet.

Going to the Vet

Dr. Cates from Alberta Veterinary Clinic confirmed that our concerns were valid and Samson has at least partially torn his CCL in his back left leg, he probably needs surgery. He referred us to Dr. Kramer at the OREV Specialty Vet Care and gave us some prescriptions with care instructions until we could see the specialist.

Going to the Specialist

April came with plenty of challenges for us and we weren’t able to take Samson to the specialist until early May. The diagnosis was confirmed by Dr. Kramer that Samson does need surgery. It’s not what we wanted to hear but it wasn’t a surprise since Samson is still limping and can’t put his weight on his left leg.

The Cost & Recovery

After the visit with Dr. Cates I started researching the topic of TPLO surgery and knew it was a pricey surgery. I was really hoping for it to be on the lower end of the scale but that is not the case. The estimate for Samson’s surgery is $3,968 – $4,321. Needless to say it’s a bit of a sticker shock and bad timing for us financially. The good news is that we do have pet insurance which should cover a good portion of it. However, I do have my reservations about how much it will really cover because the pet insurance track record has been a hit and miss to what they REALLY cover.

The recovery time is at least 6 weeks possibly more. TPLO surgery changes a dog’s knee geometrically and will need lot’s of time to heal. I will make sure to keep everyone updated on Samson’s recovery as we go through the process.

The Ask

So, here’s the ask. We need help to pay for Samson’s surgery. I have included a donation form from the Give Plugin to take donations to help us. It’s hard for me to ask for help but it’s necessary to get Samson healthy and back to an active lifestyle. So, if you are able and willing to we would GREATLY appreciate your help and we thank you.